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Nissan and Eaton have announced a partnership that will use their respective expertise in lithium-ion batteries and power electronics to create commercially viable energy storage and control centers that offer a productive second life for Nissan’s EV batteries after their days on the road. The two companies will deploy a module that combines retired LEAF… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "recycling "
Daimler uses smart EV battery packs in German electricity balancing market
Daimler, together with partners The Mobility House and GETEC, has built what it says is the world’s largest second-life battery storage unit. The stationary storage unit is to go into service at the beginning of 2016 at the site of REMONDIS, a recycling, service and water company in the German town of Lünen. It uses… Read more »
Scrap tires transformed into supercapacitor electrodes
Some of the 300 million tires discarded each year in the US could be recycled and used in electrodes for supercapacitors, using a new technology developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Drexel University. The process is described in a paper published in ChemSusChem, titled “Waste Tire Derived Carbon-Polymer Composite Paper as Pseudocapacitive Electrode with… Read more »
New process recycles rare earth element from scrap magnets
Rare earth elements, prized for their magnetic properties, are used in a wide range of modern technology, including advanced electric motors. Unfortunately, they are expensive, and some are available only from problematic parts of the world. To make it easier to recover and recycle rare earth minerals, the DOE’s Critical Materials Institute (CMI) has developed… Read more »
New report from Germany assesses over 500 EV models
A new study from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), in partnership with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, aims to present a comprehensive picture of current progress in electromobility, and to assess the position of German companies in the rapidly developing market. The DLR scientists developed a database of every known electric passenger… Read more »
DOE study: Battery second use offsets EV expenses, improves grid stability
A recent analysis from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has confirmed the value of something that several automakers are already investigating: repurposing used EV batteries for stationary storage applications. The NREL found that battery second use (B2U) strategies are capable of offsetting the costs of recycling vehicles at the end of their lives,… Read more »
Los Angeles mayor’s environmental plan calls for 1,000 new public chargers
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has set out his vision for the city’s environmental goals in an upbeat report entitled “the pLAn.” It covers a wide range of topics, from water conservation to energy-efficient buildings to renewable energy to recycling to public transit. Many of the goals are very modest, such as the call for… Read more »
Does Tesla’s Gigafactory have water worries?
Tesla’s Gigafactory, now under construction in northern Nevada, is expected to offer some 6,000 manufacturing jobs, which will be welcome in a state whose economy is dependent on gambling and tourism. Most are enthusiastic about the new development, but there are questions about whether local resources and infrastructure will be adequate. As always in this… Read more »
Used Li-ion batteries: remanufacture, repurpose or recycle?
Some fine day, as second- and third-generation EVs take over the roads, there will be loads of used lithium-ion batteries kicking around. According to a new report by the Mineta National Transit Research Consortium (MNTRC), by 2035 there will be between 1.3 million and 6.7 million post-vehicle batteries across the US, “enough batteries to justify… Read more »
Phinergy CEO on aluminum-air batteries and 1,000-mile range-extended EVs
Along with its industry giant partner Alcoa, Israeli startup Phinergy says it has aluminum-air batteries for EVs in the can. More than 550 feet over the National Mall in Washington, DC, the single most significant piece of American aluminum triangulates a point between the White House, the US Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial. It is… Read more »


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Hundreds of NSW businesses have responded to Premier Gladys Berejiklian's call to help produce critical medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abbey Manufacturing Group in western Sydney is one of more than 1400 businesses that have registered to help fill the global shortfall in vital supplies.
But while its Smithfield factory is ready to help, it faces hurdles, including delays on approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
"If we can turn around and manufacture here, we're obviously saving jobs, we're saving the economy, we're keeping businesses afloat," manager Christian Macgregor told 9News.
Eight products are needed due to major disruptions in overseas supply chains. Those products include hand sanitiser, personal protection equipment and toilet paper.
But while the family-owned business – which already supplies hospitals with surgical shoe covers and mattress protectors - is ready to produce thousands of face shields and isolation gowns using food packaging material and other sources of plastic, they have hit a roadblock.
"TGA approval is proving a little more difficult," Mr Macgregor said.
Mr Macgregor says his business could potentially produce up to 120,000 essential items using food packaging materials and other sources of plastic.
"We've got a process where we are working closely with the TGA to get those approvals in place and we've also got people from NSW Health embedded in our procurement teams so we know we're buying the right product," NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment and Tourism Stuart Ayres said.
It's a process Mr Macgregor and the Abbey Manufacturing team are keen to see through.
"In this tough time, you can't be not passionate about it, it's something that's very close to all of us," Mr Macgregor said.

domain: news


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Posted in Local,
Posted: Fri, January 11 2013 at 11:09 PM,
Updated: Fri, January 11 2013 at 11:29 PM
More than four billion tons of food is produced each year and a new study says nearly half of it ends up wasted by consumers. NBC5's Laura Cavanaugh brings us the story.


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Bentley has announced record operating profits for the first nine months of 2022, with profits doubling to €575 million (£495m).
That represents an increase of 109 per cent compared with the same nine-month period last year. For comparison, the previous best full-year total for the Crewe-based firm totalled €389 million (£335m).
Year-to-date sales grew by three per cent to 11,316 cars, while revenue increased from €1.949bn (£1.67bn) in 2021 to €2.490 (£2.143bn) this year – a rise of 28 per cent.
Amidst continuing challenges and an uncertain global economy, today we announce record operating profits for the first nine months of 2022. Profits more than double, to €575 million, compared to the same period last year.
— Bentley Newsroom (@BentleyComms) November 2, 2022
Bentley attributes this growth to the popularity of new model derivatives, such as the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase (EWB) as well as new personalisation options that are available through Bentley Mulliner.
Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said “While Bentley continues to tackle the challenges it faces in the global market, this latest set of financial figures shows strong results in most regions.
“The continued growth in revenue per car supports the options and limited edition models created by Bentley’s in-house coachbuilder Mulliner and the positive customer reception to our increasing range of model derivatives. Furthermore, the launch of the new Bentayga EWB model is expected to further boost sales of Bentley’s luxury SUV.”
The Bentayga took a 41 per cent share of sales, while the Flying Spur accounted for 27 per cent. Combined, the Continental GT and GTC models took 27 per cent of the sales.
Bentley also saw sales increase in Europe by 18 per cent during the first nine months of 2022, rising to 2,133 cars. The Asia Pacific region also saw double-digit growth of 17 per cent. Back in its UK home market, Bentley’s sales rose by 25 per cent to 1,126 cars, while the Americas remained the firm’s strongest sales region, bringing a seven per cent increase to 3,154 cars.


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Xbox Video archive
Dolby Vision finally ready for public consumption, partners with Sharp and Netflix to bring it to market6 January 2014
Dolby has announced that it is finally ready to bring Dolby Vision to market. The television technology has been discussed and touted for a while, but companies such as Sharp and TCL are expected to release supported sets later this year. Prototype TVs...
Microsoft's Xbox Video app lands in Windows Phone Store, bringing ability to download movies and shows for offline use18 December 2013
The Xbox Video for Windows Phone app is now live, and you finally have the ability to access, stream or download movies and TV shows through the Xbox Video Store on a Windows Phone 8 smartphone. Microsoft developed the Xbox Video service alongside Xbox...
Gadgets 9 May 2013
Microsoft has long been rumoured to be launching a set-top box alongside the new Xbox. According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has developed a set-top box prototype of a simpler, easier-to-use device that focuses solely on streaming video rather...
Phones 18 June 2012
Microsoft is expected to announce details of the next iteration of its mobile phone operating system Windows Phone 8 at a preview event held in San Francisco on Wednesday 20 June, but is it what the users of Windows Phone 7 want and will it be enough...
Phones 6 June 2012
Microsoft plans to launch Xbox Video for Windows 8 and Windows Phone in addition to Xbox Music, the company has confirmed. While the Xbox Music was the service that got the big announcement on Monday at the Microsoft E3 2012 press conference, buried...


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UK retailers received an export boost this week. The government launched the UK Retail Industry International Action Plan this Tuesday, at Retail Week Live, to help retailers expand into fast-growing and lucrative overseas markets.
The Plan commits the government to get another 100,000 companies exporting by 2020, while doubling UK exports to £1tn. It also aims to maintain the UK’s ranking as the number one destination for new inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in Europe and become the number one destination in Europe for emerging-market FDI.
The two-year Action Plan sets out three major campaigns led by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), who developed the Plan, to assist retailers to grow internationally. It promises support for retailers to use all the available ways to reach international customers. Another priority is targeting the rapidly growing number of middle class consumers in priority markets where British luxury brands are highly prized; these include Mumbai, Beijing, Istanbul, St Petersburg, Shanghai, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Warsaw
Part of the strategy is to seize the e-commerce opportunity and focus on omni- and multi-channel retailing. Said business secretary, Vince Cable, at the Plan’s launch: “The UK’s dominance in e-commerce puts retailers in a world-beating position to capitalise on the fast growing demand for British goods and luxury brands.
As we rebalance the economy with more export-led growth, retail has an important role to play. With this action plan UKTI will back small and large retailers across the UK to grow and expand into new export markets.
Britain’s 228,000 online retailers already export more than the rest of Europe’s e-retailers put together. Global retail sector sales are expected to grow by eight per cent annually through to 2016.
Britain, the export nation a reputation the UKTI would like to see. When it comes to SMEs in retail or any other sector, exporting is often the number one priority, as soon as growth numbers need to be boosted. How about you?


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YouTube has the WAU factor in Anglo music markets
WAU? Weekly Active Users: a metric that Midia Research’s Mark Mulligan thinks is more relevant in 2017 than monthly active users. “The MAU metric is past its sell by date. In today’s always on, increasingly mobile...
May 26, 2017
SoundCloud confirms $70m debt-funding round
After much speculation about its financial health in 2017, SoundCloud has bought itself more time by finalising a $70m round of debt-funding. The company confirmed the news after Business Insider spotted a filing with...
March 24, 2017
Report claims SoundCloud valuation will drop without funding
It is open season on SoundCloud speculation, as the streaming service seeks a new round of funding to keep its doors open beyond the end of 2017. This situation is not in doubt – SoundCloud itself admitted it within...
March 13, 2017
Could Sonalytic help Spotify build, not buy SoundCloud?
We reported yesterday on Spotify’s acquisition of British startup Sonalytics, which we’d tipped as one to watch in our recent innovation and startups report. “Their advancements in audio feature detection will be...
March 8, 2017
SoundCloud launches mid-tier $4.99 subscription service
SoundCloud is shaking up the way its premium subscription offering works, with a new $4.99-a-month mid-tier option that doesn’t include the 30m+ tracks added to the service through its licensing deals with labels. This...
February 28, 2017
SoundCloud criticises Financial Times over ‘begging’ claims
SoundCloud isn’t happy at all about the Financial Times’ report earlier this week on the company’s current situation. While it’s true that two senior executives recently left SoundCloud, and that the company is...
February 14, 2017
SoundCloud claims ‘solid growth’ despite accounts warning
SoundCloud says its business enjoyed “solid growth” last year, but the publication of its accounts for 2015 is sparking renewed concerns about the company’s sustainability in 2017. Those accounts revealed that SoundCloud’s...
January 6, 2017
Google the latest company linked with SoundCloud acquisition
Twitter isn’t buying SoundCloud. Spotify isn’t buying SoundCloud. Could Google be buying SoundCloud? That’s the latest industry rumour over the latter company’s future. Music Business Worldwide suggests that Google...
January 4, 2017
MusicWatch thinks iHeartRadio Plus can get 4m subscribers
“Will iHeart’s audience pay? You bet, maybe!” claims the slightly confusing headline for research firm MusicWatch’s latest blog post. In fact, the company has concluded that millions of iHeartRadio listeners *will*...
December 7, 2016
SoundCloud Go launches in Germany
SoundCloud has taken its premium subscription tier to an eighth country: its homeland Germany. “We have already launched Go in seven countries and we are now launching in Germany,” CEO Alexander Ljung told the Berliner...
December 7, 2016
Music Ally Report 398 – Tube Exit
Lead: Music Ally has heard that at least one major label is threatening to pull its content from YouTube before Christmas. This could prove to be a negotiating strategy/last resort, but what would happen if they actually...
November 23, 2016
SoundCloud: ‘We’re sharing more revenue with more people’
SoundCloud is certainly sharing its revenues with more people, having struck licensing deals with labels and publishers in the last year. However, the company’s latest claim focuses on creators: the musicians uploading...
November 17, 2016


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The 2012 London International Boat Show was a showcase of over a thousand boats, an impressive selection of superyachts and an enviable exhibition of luxury goods.
The 2012 edition of the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show is located in the centre of London’s Royal Docks and will no doubt mark the start of a brand new year by introducing more than 1,000 boats, both indoors and on the Thames.
Last year, the show broke records by presenting the brand-new 32m Princess superyacht; the heaviest yacht ever to be lifted into the show. This year, the London Boat Show offered up a display of Sunseeker yachts ranging up to 40m, a selection of stunning Oyster Marine sailing yachts and the striking Princess V39 model.
bonus video : Tamara Ecclestone opens the 2012Tullett Prebon London Boat Show


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Police blotter: local crime reports
Burglary: Sometime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. March 16, someone broke a window of a house on Highland Avenue, entered the residence and stole jewelry.
Identity theft: Sometime between March 7 and March 18, someone used the identity of a person on Viennawood Drive and opened a cell phone account and filed an income tax return in that person's name.
Grand larceny: Between 9 and 10:30 a.m. March 13, someone stole a cell phone, credit card, cash and gift cards from the pocket of a coat that was in an office closet at 100 Allens Creek Road.
Grand larceny: Sometime between Feb. 28 and March 9, someone stole jewelry from a person's bedroom in the 2500 block of East Avenue. The person reported sometimes leaving the door to the apartment unlocked.
Arrest: On March 9, police arrested a Rochester man, , 36, on the misdemeanor traffic charge of driving while intoxicated.
Drug charge: On March 11, police arrested a Hilton man, 33, on the misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Bail jump: Police arrested a 24-year-old LeRoy man on March 11 on the misdemeanor charge of third-degree bail jumping.
Arrest: On March 12, police arrested, a 19-year-old man of Brockport on the misdemeanor traffic charge of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration.
DWI: On March 14, police arrested a man, 35, of Rochester, on the misdemeanor traffic charge of driving while intoxicated.
Burglary: On March 10, a 22-year-old man entered the Wegmans on Chili Ave. and stole four bottles of medication. He was stopped by security and was arraigned at town court. It was learned he had been banned from Wegmans stores.
Criminal mischief: Someone slashed three tires on a car on Cravenwood Avenue on March 6.
An unknown person broke a window on a home on Kartes Drive on March 9.
The rear window of a vehicle parked on Bancroft Drive was smashed on March 15.
On March 15, someone took a backhoe for a joyride near 2648 W. Ridge Road and tipped the vehicle over.
Petit larceny: A package was stolen from outside a victim's door on Greece Center Drive on March 11.
Burglaries: Someone broke the front door windows and entered the Pontillo's at 2010 W. Ridge Road and stole cash from the safe on March 11.
On March 6, someone broke into a home on Marwood Road and rummaged through the house.
Someone broke into Blanchard Florist, 3208 Latta Road, entered the business and smashed glass cooler doors and computer screens then stole cash on March 16.
Stickers stolen: A book of vehicle inspection stickers was taken from Firestone Complete Auto Care, 2210 W. Ridge Road on March 9.
Fire: A residence on Squareview Lane was damaged by an electrical fire that started in a bathroom fan on March 16.
Computer stolen: A Galaxy Note tablet was stolen from a tool box in the service bays at Fucillo Kia on March 9.
Counterfeit money: Suspects used more than $1,600 in fake $20 bills to purchase gift cards at Walmart, 3800 Dewey Ave. on March 11.
Suspects used $1,300 in fake $20 bills to make purchases at Dollar General, 2873 Dewey Ave.
Vehicle stolen: A green 2009 Hyundai Sonata was stolen from a driveway on Fox Meadow Road on March 15.
Attempted grand larceny: A customer of ESL, 745 Long Pond Road was getting cash from an ATM when a man ran towards the customer and tried to grab the cash on March 16. The victim drove away.
Criminal mischief: From March 7-9, an unknown suspect rammed the gate to General Welding and Fabrication, 60 Saginaw Drive, where numerous plows and trailers are kept. A Ford emblem was found by the gate.
Larceny and assault: On March 9, two suspects entered the Macy's store at 20 Miracle Mile Drive and stole clothes. One of the male suspects was dressed in female clothing when he exited the store. Macy's security attempted to stop the suspects, and the suspects kicked and bit one in an attempt to flee. The suspects were taken into custody after attempting another larceny at the Walmart on Marketplace Drive.
Locker-room theft: On March 5, an unknown suspect entered the locker room of the Pieter's Family Life Center, 1025 Commons Way, and took the victim's two wallets. The victim said he left his wallets in his pants pocket in an unsecured locker. The wallets contained credit cards and $40 in cash.
Rifle stolen: Victim reports that between March 8-9, an unknown suspect stole his Marlin .22 rifle from his bedroom on Crossman Terrace.
Red Bull stolen: On March 7, a female suspect entered the Dollar General Store on West Ridge Road and stole several cases of Red Bull, fleeing in a waiting black Kia with Ohio plate FZN3136. The vehicle has been reported in similar thefts throughout the county.
Counterfeit currency: Two women were found to have used $1020 in counterfeit $20 bills to buy two $500 gift cards and some candy at a Penfield Walmart on March 9.
Robbery and grand larceny: Two men stole $200 in cash after robbing two people at gunpoint while they were parked off of Empire Boulevard to make a phone call at around 8:30 p.m. on March 17.
Larceny: Someone stole a 1850 French Dordet Patent Corkscrew valued at $8,000 from the home of an antique corkscrew collector on Hickory Ridge in Penfield between Jan. 10 and Feb. 25. The homeowner said there was no evidence of forced entry and that several people had access to the home at the time.
Burglary: On March 7, deputies responded to Bill Gray's Tap Room on Lake Road for a reported fight. Two men were drinking and began to break glasses. They refused to leave.
A fight with employees spilled into the parking lot and the staff retreated back into the bar. The staff locked the doors and the suspects broke the door to gain entry and began to fight with the staff again.
Deputies took the suspects into custody, and they were arraigned at Sweden Town Court and remanded to the Monroe County Jail on $10,000 cash/$20,000 bond.
Petit larceny: A Rochester woman was arrested and charged with attempting to conceal $242 worth of merchandise in her purse at Von Maur in Eastview Mall in Victor on March 19.
Petit larceny: A Manchester man was arrested and charged on March 18 for an March 16 incident where he allegedly stole a deli sandwich and Monster energy drink from a Manchester Express Mart.
Petit larceny: A man allegedly stole a jar with $50 in change inside it from the counter of a Tim Horton's coffee shop at 819 Ridge Road on Feb. 25.


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Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) reported an attributable net loss of P11.96 billion in the first half of 2020—a 578 percent fall from the net income of P2.5 billion in the same period last year.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the firm said attributable net loss in the second quarter of 2020 amounted to P10.17 billion, 1077 percent lower than the profit of P1.04 billion in the same period of 2019.
The attributable net loss for the second quarter of 2020 included the cost for Business Transformation of P7.0 billion. Excluding this cost for Business Transformation, the net loss would have been P3.2 billion.
The losses also included significant costs incurred in response to the crisis such as emergency response fund for employees and workers, assistance to front liners, health workers and low income households, partly offset by economic stimulus packages received from the Singapore and China governments.
“The business results were very bad but in line with our forecasts. We are now focusing on rebuilding our business moving forward along with implementing major cost improvement under our Business
Transformation program,” said JFC Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong.
He added that, “We expect sales and profit to improve over the next few months. Our business building effort includes introducing exciting new products, launching new marketing campaigns, opening cloud kitchens, introducing improvement in our delivery systems and opening new stores at selected locations particularly in North America, Vietnam, Malaysia and China.”
Tanmantiong said “We plan to open a total of 338 stores worldwide in 2020. We expect sales and profit to increase significantly in 2021 to a point closer to the levels of 2019 and to grow at least at historical growth rate of 15% annually by 2022.”
System wide sales, a measure of all sales to consumers, both from company-owned and franchised stores, declined 24.5 percent to P85.83 billion in the first half of 2020 from P113.71 billion in the same period last year.
For the second quarter, system wide sales dropped 48.4 percent to P30.68 billion compared to P59.43 billion in the same quarter last year with same store sales decline of 41 percent as the business felt the full impact of government restrictions intended to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the beginning of the second quarter, 50 percent of JFC Group’s stores worldwide were temporarily closed. By the end of the quarter, 88 percent of all stores were already open.
However, most of the stores that were open relied heavily on delivery and take-out businesses while practically all dine-in operations were either still closed or had low level of sales volume.
Revenues decreased by 46.6 percent to P23.3 billion for the quarter versus year ago and was down by 25.3 percent to P62.76 billion in the first half of 2020.
As JFC’s stores resumed operations all over the world, the speed of recovery in same store sales varied across different countries and territories.
In April, global same store sales declined by 47 percent with the Philippine business declining by 57
percent, China down by 37 percent, North America lower by 25 percent and Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEAA) down by 45 percent.
In June, global same store sales improved compared to April’s to negative 39 perent with the Philippine business lower by 48 percent, China by 25 percent, North America by 9 percent and EMEAA by 22 percent.
JFC estimates that financial performance will get progressively better in the next two quarters of the year as stores will have been being reopened and sales will have been gradually building up. Total EBITDA is forecasted to be positive by the fourth quarter of 2020 with the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Europe/Middle East and Other Parts of Asia forecasted to generate net operating income by that time. This assumes that government restrictions related to the control of the pandemic will not be re-imposed.(


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COLUMBUS, OHIO - Pipe extruder Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. has announced its hometown city of Columbus has approved corrugated polyethylene pipe for sewer and drainage uses. The city approved ADS N-12 pipe, with diameters from 8 inches to 48 inches, for use under pavement, the company said.
Since 1993, ADS said, 135,000 feet of pipe was installed and tested at 30 residential subdivisions in the city, under a provisional approval. City engineers used video cameras to inspect a 10,000-foot stretch of the pipe, said Tom King, ADS vice president of engineering.
ADS officials also said they expect the number of U.S. installations for its smooth-wall N-12 HC pipe should be double the number in 1995. The smooth-wall pipe was introduced in 1994, and was targeted to the storm-sewer market; but the firm is exploring other applications, said Tony Radoszewski, director of marketing and business development.
James Goddard, ADS chief engineer, said the pipe has a high strength-to-weight ratio. Circular ribs create a honeycomb cross section, which increases ring stiffness, Goddard said. N-12 HC pipe has been installed in 30 states, the company said.
Uni-Bell celebrates 25th anniversary
DALLAS - Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association has created a special logo to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.
Dennis Bauer, newly elected as chairman of the Uni-Bell board and vice president of pipe extruder Uponor ETI of Denver, said PVC pipe growth ex-panded from single digits for water and sewer in 1971, the year Uni-Bell was born, to hold a majority share of both markets today.
Uni-Bell is based in Dallas.
For its 25th anniversary, Uni-Bell will contribute $10,000 worth of PVC pipe to help K.I.D.S., a not-for-profit educational organization, build a maze in Clayton, Mo., that will be large enough to set a record in Guinness Book of World Records.
Lowe's distributing AERT's windows
SPRINGDALE, ARK. - Shoppers at Lowe's Home Improvement Cen-ters in the southeastern United States are buying windows made with plastic lumber components.
Advanced Environmental Recy-cling Technologies Inc. an-nounced that it is selling its Moistureshield window components to Lowe's Thomasville Millwork, a division of Lowe's Cos. Inc. of North Wilkesboro, N.C.
AERT makes the Moisture-shield products from recycled plastic and wood fiber.
The Springdale company has been marketing Moistureshield to window and door manufacturers, touting its resistance to rot, insects and moisture.
fiberlux intorduces vinyl garden window
PURCHASE, N.Y. - Fiberlux Inc. has introduced a new garden window, featuring a sloped, insulated, glass top and a thin-line design for providing maximum daylight.
The window has fully welded vinyl frames and sash and specially extruded caps, covers and trim for energy efficiency and attractiveness, according to the Purchase-based firm.
The garden window incorporates the Series 1600 casement windows, including double weatherstripping, multilocking, easily accessible operating hardware and sloped/stepped sills.
ASTM revises specs for folded PVC pipe
WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. - ASTM's Committee F-17 on Plastic Pipe Systems has revised its F-1504 standard specification for folded PVC pipe for rehabilitation of sewer and conduit pipes.
The revision, the result of two years of research and development, recognizes an additional cell classification for the folded PVC pipe.
The no-dig technology inserts a folded PVC pipe into the old pipe, then expands it to conform to the wall of the original, forming a pipe within a pipe.
ASTM is based in West Conshohocken.
Gentek sides with random-grain look
CLEVELAND - Gentek Building Products Inc. has created a vinyl siding that duplicates the random-grain pattern of wood siding.
The siding, Northern Forest, comes in seven shades. Each shade has intertwining natural colors that create the woodgrain appearance. The siding is Gentek's top-of-the-line product.
To make Northern Forest, Gentek engineers improved the Timberwood line, boosting the contrast between color tones on the siding, according to an official of the Cleveland company. He declined to reveal how the company adds the grain pattern.


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Shares of Tesla (TSLA) are starting to really warm up again, up more than 30% in July. Tesla’s impressive pace in the second quarter and the relief rally experienced by the broader tech sector fueled the rebound. Although the 57% rise in earnings was impressive, the valuation remains incredibly stretched. Additionally, investors may be underestimating the potential for a sharp decline as the global economy tips into recession.
Not to mention the incredible efforts of Elon Musk and his company, but 12.1x sales is simply too high a price for an automaker facing a wave of hungry rivals over the next decade. .
Recent comments from the Federal Reserve following another 75 basis point rate hike have appeased investors holding high multiple growth stocks. While the meeting could spark a relief rally in the most battered names, Tesla’s long-term roadmap could prove very bumpy.
Few companies, especially automakers, are immune to the effects of an economic contraction.
Tesla Stock Clocks in another impressive result
Tesla is making hits on profits a habit. The latest beat was fueled by higher average selling prices and strong vehicle deliveries. Demand for Tesla’s electric vehicle direct line does not seem to signal that a recession is on the horizon. Whether Tesla’s quarterly strength bodes well for the affluent consumer (who is less buffeted by inflation) remains to be seen.
Either way, Tesla seems to have the momentum of a freight train as we head into a period of economic gloom. The million dollar question is whether Tesla’s sales momentum can see it through this recession.
Tesla remains the king of electric vehicles, putting it on the right side of a powerful secular trend towards electrification that could stretch for many years to come. After such quarterly strength, it seems that the secular tailwinds are stronger than the economic headwinds.
A strong brand, impressive vehicle lineup and premium technologies have been differentiators that could act as a sort of moat around the company’s share of economic profits in the scorching electric vehicle market.
Revenues and margins seem to be on the uptrend. As Tesla’s superchargers continue to roll out across the country (and then around the world), a growing number of consumers will be ready to go electric with their next vehicle purchase.
Tesla stock: is it worth the higher price?
Despite the powerful secular trends, I don’t consider Tesla’s moat to be impenetrable. Tesla may be the leader in electric vehicles today, but it’s unclear if Elon Musk’s empire can hold the throne 10 years from now. As traditional automakers go electric and become more technological, Tesla stock could face a significant contraction in valuation multiples.
Alternatively, electrifying automakers – think Ford (F) – could be rewarded with substantial multiple expansion. I would say the first case is more likely. The argument for Tesla’s premium multiple is that the company is a tech company that makes automobiles rather than a car company with cool technology.
Sure, Tesla has some intriguing tech behind the hood, but are those features and functionality replicable by other automakers beckoning top tech talent? Most likely. The rules of the game are inevitable in the decade, and I would argue that Tesla may not be able to widen its lead over its competitors.
Tech titan Apple (AAPL) has been rumored to enter the automotive industry for quite some time now. Currently, the rumor mill points to an all-electric, self-driving vehicle that could launch in the latter part of this decade.
As one of the most innovative tech companies on the planet, an entry into the automotive industry could weigh heavily on Tesla’s economic moat. Apple has the brand and the technology to outshine almost any rival it chooses to fight for market share.
All it took was a simple change in its iOS operating system to wreak havoc on social media companies. Apple’s ad business is relatively small today, but this move could lay the groundwork for a bigger push in the future, perhaps once the metaverse goes mainstream.
Apple’s entry into automotive poses a major threat to Tesla, and I don’t think the threat is factored into current valuations. Sure, Apple is a long way from launching a car in many years, but when it does, Tesla’s best days may fall in the rearview mirror.
Wall Street’s view on Tesla
As for Wall Street, Tesla has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 18 buys, 6 holds and 7 sells assigned over the past three months. Tesla’s average price target of $872.28 implies modest upside potential of 3.5%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $73.00 per share to a high of $1,580 per share. (See TSLA stock forecast on TipRanks)
Remember: the valuation is too high compared to the risks
Tesla does almost everything right these days. As we enter a recession, it may be more difficult to continue to explode results. Additionally, competitive threats are poised to increase significantly over the next six years. Automotive rivals and tech companies could find themselves breathing Tesla’s neck. This does not bode well for the multiple rich.
To find great ideas for EV stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a recently launched tool that brings together all of TipRanks’ stock information.
Disclaimer: The information in this article represents the views and opinion of the author only, and not the views or opinion of TipRanks or its affiliates, and should be considered for informational purposes only. uniquely. At the time of publication, the author had no position on any of the titles mentioned in this article.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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Last week saw Micron MU suing United Microelectronics UMC , Apple AAPL agreeing to transfer back taxes in Ireland, Alphabet's GOOGL YouTube rumored to launch a new music streaming service and Qualcomm QCOM making important announcements at its annual Snapdragon event.
Here are the details-
Micron Sues UMC
Problems between Micron and UMC have been brewing for some time and have mainly to do with the theft of Micron intellectual property by former employees who then share it with UMC and through it, with Chinese partners. This is not an isolated case and not the first time that this happened.
This time, Micron's former employees J.T. Ho, a process-integration engineering lead and Kenny Wang, a process-integration and device-section manager, copied DRAM process secrets in memory sticks and turned the information over to UMC when they joined the company. They then started recruiting other former Micron employees with the intention of making chips based on the technology.
Micron ties this up with UMC's JV with Chinese chipmaker Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co., which is in the process of equipping a fab in Jinjiang that will employ a UMC-provided 32nm process to run first silicon in the third quarter of 2018. The proposed fab, which isn't government-owned but government sponsored, will make 60K wafers per month (wpm).
This is significant on a number of levels. The first significance is with respect to DRAM prices and therefore, profits. After Micron's purchase of troubled chipmakers like Rexchip, Inotera and Japan's Elpida Memory, the DRAM market is almost totally owned by Korean players Samsung and Hynix and America's Micron.
This has led to very stable and strong pricing for the three and allowed them to generate good profits. But if technology leaks to Chinese players, they can flood the market with cheaper DRAM and bring down prices. On the positive side, the process leak is on the trailing edge side, so the damage may be limited, especially if Micron can continue to innovate. On the negative side, it will be very hard to bring trade embargo against stolen property as a legal remedy (as is usually done) because China is itself one of the largest consumers of chips.
It is also significant for Taiwan as the country's entire economy is dependent on its foundries, so intellectual property protection is an important piece of the deal. The Taiwanese government generally frowns upon any deal making with Chinese companies because Taiwan is much farther along in technological progress. Such deals are only allowed for trailing edge technologies when there are cost advantages for Taiwanese chip companies. Transfer of intellectual property or key technologies to China would mean loss of business for Taiwan as the Chinese can take over the entire market with cheaper products.
Micron is currently expected to survive because its R&D remains ahead of the pack.
Apple Makes Tax Deal with EU
Apple has agreed to pay Ireland nearly $14 billion in back taxes although the amount will be deposited in an escrow account opened for the purpose until a resolution of the matter (both Apple and Ireland are appealing the decision). The problem arose because Apple opened two Irish subsidiaries that controlled its European operations (so all European business was taxable only in Ireland). It also had an arrangement with the Irish authorities to pay virtually no taxes in Ireland.
The Irish government agreed to the deal in order to attract investment to the country. The EU disputes that Ireland has a right to do this at the scale that it did under EU law. It is also an anticompetitive practice given that other companies operating in Europe have to pay taxes and therefore make lower profits than Apple. Tim Cook has reportedly dismissed the issue as "total political crap."
YouTube Remix Set for March 2018 Launch
Google is preparing to launch yet another music streaming service. The company launched the audio-only Google Play Music in 2011, following that up with the paid service YouTube Music Key in 2014 that ultimately became YouTube Red in 2016. Red was a disappointment for music labels since it wasn't devoted to music alone but instead focused on YouTube original video.
So this time around, YouTube is having a hard time convincing music labels that it will deliver the goods. It has brought in former Warner Music executive Lyor Cohen to head its music operations and that's what likely led to the decision to launch Remix, a Spotify-like on-demand streaming service that will also incorporate elements like video clips that are more like YouTube. The company has reportedly already reached out to artists to promote the new service, although it is yet to sign on Sony, Universal and Merlin (a consortium of independent labels). Warner is already on board, it seems.
Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit
At the Snapdragon Tech Summit in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon 845, a highly integrated piece of hardware, marrying the CPU, the baseband modem, a digital signal processor, and an image processor for photos and videos, as well as the required additional circuitry. It is therefore expected to improve speech recognition and photography, while making the most of artificial intelligence, and combining both hardware and software resources. The goal is of course to support the creation of devices from multiple OEMs so they can function the way the iPhone does and make up for the business lost at Apple.
With the Apple relationship souring, Qualcomm is going all out to rope in other partners. At the event, Qualcomm announced hardware partners like Microsoft, HP and Asus, all of which will launch new laptops and hybrid 2-in-1 devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor with 20+ real-world, always-on hours of battery life and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 Gigabit LTE modem which can provide 1Gbps speeds on compatible cellular networks.
The laptops will have the power to run practically all Windows applications despite the longer battery life. They may, however, have some limitations for gaming purposes. But Qualcomm's stated goal is to blur the difference between laptops and phones by making laptops more like phones.
Apple, Google, Facebook at China Internet Event : Technology leaders were well represented at China's annual state-run World Internet Conference held at Wuzhen, a historic canal town outside Shanghai. The Chinese government has so far stuck to its policy of censoring the Internet and keeping foreign services such as Facebook FB , Google search and Twitter TWTR at bay.
It has also banned some media output, games and movies, while tightening rules so citizens are unable to circumvent the restrictions through private virtual private networks (VPNs). Apple, which manufactures its devices in the country, has a bit more leverage than the others, but it has always toed the line in China. So finding something to praise the government for was difficult, but all the company reps managed.
Toshiba-WDC Could Settle : Unconfirmed news reports say that Toshiba and Western Digital have come to an understanding that more or less settles the problems between them. Accordingly, the agreement requires Toshiba to extend its current joint venture agreement (set to expire in 2021) with Western Digital to its Yokkaichi fab, which entails allowing investments from WDC and supplying it with NAND chips. In return, WDC will withdraw arbitration proceedings against Toshiba allowing it to sell the business to a Bain-led consortium that also includes WDC customer Apple and competitors Seagate and Hynix.
Separately, Hong Kong-based activist investor Argyle Street Management Ltd, a hedge fund with $1.2 billion under management, has told Toshiba that with the latest cash infusion, it doesn't need to sell the business to the Bain-led group any longer. Reuters reports that Argyle is in conversation with at least three other investment funds to block the sale. It is also inviting the more than 30 overseas investors that took part in the latest funding round to raise $5.3 billion.
Amazon Enters Australia : Amazon has dipped its feet into the Australian retail market with the opening of a massive warehouse on the outskirts of Melbourne and corporate offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Canberra. The positioning of the warehouse will enable Amazon to offer quick delivery to nearly four-fifths of the population. However, at launch, its offerings are limited and prices not always the lowest.
This isn't a winning formula in a market where around 90% of the population is connected and accustomed to transacting online. Its delivery partner is also limited to state-owned Australia Post. The thing about Australia is that it is very sparsely populated in most places. So delivering to remote areas can be tricky and expensive. That's what Amazon is likely figuring out at the moment.
Yelp Out of Favor : Piper Jaffray analyst Sam Kemp has said that he's losing confidence in Yelp, which depends on Google, Facebook and others for a third of its traffic. He also feels that shortening attention spans along with crisp and improving reviews especially for things like restaurants and spas on these rival sites could lead people to move away from the typically longer format reviews available on Yelp. He therefore downgraded the shares to Underweight, sending shares down.
Australia to Probe Facebook, Google : In the wake of the evolving media landscape wherein news is increasingly consumed through digital channels rather than in print form, the Australian government is attempting to bring the Broadcast and Content Reform package. With the promotion of media diversity and support for media jobs as key government imperatives, it has invited the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to scrutinize major digital distribution platforms like Google and Facebook to determine if they are adversely impactingconsumers, content creators or advertisers. The ACCC's first report is not expected until December 2018, with the final report taking another six months.
Alibaba Lawsuit Over IPO : Holders of Alibaba's American Depository Receipts are suing the companyover the deliberate concealment of a meeting on July 16, 2014, two months before its $25 billion initial public offering, in which China's powerful State Administration for Industry and Commerce threatened huge fines if Alibaba failed to suppress counterfeiting.
Earlier in June 2016, Chief Judge Colleen McMahon of the Manhattan District Court dismissed the nationwide lawsuit, because Alibaba had mentioned it under regulatory risks in its IPO materials. But this prima facie ruling (that doesn't go into the merits of the case) says that the matter should have been treated as "highly material" to investors. As such, the case has returned to and has sent it back to Judge Colleen McMahon.
Apple Pay Cash in iOS 11.2 : If you're using a device running on iOS 11.2, you can use it to make peer to peer payments, much the way you would use Venmo or Square Cash. It's a convenient way to make payments between devices running the latest of Apple's operating systems, so it could be something of a headache for the platform agnostic services.
Particularly because unlike the Apple service, the apps have to be separately downloaded. At the same time, their neutrality will likely help them grow despite the share loss to Apple. The company is also offering Apple Pay Cash to its WatchOS 4.2 users, so they can ask Siri to do the honors.
Apple Supplier Quanta Making AR Displays : Apple supplier Quanta (for its Watches and Macs) has a new licensing deal with Israeli company Lumus, that makes the core display components for augmented reality (AR) glasses. Lumus technology embeds multiple prisms into a single sheet of glass such that the size and breadth of images increase even as the thickness of the glass sheet does not. Other complexities such as those related to low-light conditions also have to be handled.
Because of the complexities involved, Apple's Tim Cook has earlier said that we are years away from high quality AR, but since Quanta is an Apple supplier, speculations can't be contained. It's expected that the deal will enable the company to offer significantly higher volumes of AR glasses at a cost of $1,000 or less by 2019. C.C. Leung, Quanta's vice chairman, said recently that it was part of an AR glass project and that he had "studied the optical technologies that AR devices have needed since two years ago".
Firefox Moves Back to Google Search : With the launch of Firefox's new Quantum browser, the company has moved back to Google search as the default. The company had earlier contracted with Yahoo to use its search service as the default and that agreement is in force until 2019. So Yahoo owner Oath (after its acquisition by Verizon) has sued the company for breach of contract.
Now Firefox has countersued, citing a clause in the agreement that allowed it to terminate the contract if Yahoo was considered unacceptable for some reason. The rub for Yahoo (and Oath) is that it is required to keep making annual payments of $375 million through 2019 in lieu of the contract even if Mozilla doesn't use it as a default.
YouTube Moved from Amazon Devices : "We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."
Part of the problem is also related to the way Amazon is using hacked versions of Google apps rather than working with Google to build suitable apps for its devices. This not only cuts out features from its services, but also makes it difficult for Google to monetize its services. So beginning on Jan 1, 2018, Google will remove YouTube support for all Amazon devices.
Amazon Prime Video on Apple TV : A day after Google pulled its services from Amazon devices, Apple announced that the Amazon Prime video app was now available for Apple TV. So Apple TV customers will now have access to Amazon's original content and licensed TV shows, though it isn't clear yet if this means that Apple TV devices will now be available on Amazon.
Amazon requires rivals to offer Amazon Prime video in order to be sold on its online shopping platform. Apple, Google and Amazon all make competing hardware and are investing in original and licensed programming. But Amazon has made the most progress and Apple the least (at least as far as content is concerned).
NVIDIA Titan V : NVIDIA has announced the world's fastest graphics processing unit (GPU) to bring machine learning capabilities to the desktop. Driven by the Volta GPU architecture, it delivers 110 teraflops of performance, or 9X the comparative model from Nvidia's previous architecture, the Titan XP, which was announced in April.
Over the years, NVIDIA has positioned the Titan brand to mean cutting edge, so it represents the best of its capabilities. Moreover, recent revamping of the Volta architecture has made it much more energy efficient, so Titan V can manage double the workload at the same power as Pascal.
Nintendo-NVIDIA Deal in China : Nintendo has, for the first time agreed to make popular titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Punch-Out!! available through NVIDIA Shield, which went on sale on Dec. 5 in mainland China. The deal, which is a deviation from its policy of offering its games only on its own devices, is limited to NVIDIA and China. The company has said officially that it remains in negotiations with Chinese authorities to launch its own device in the country.
Other consoles like Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation have also not done very well, because the Chinese government generally clamps down on extremely violent or sexually explicit content, which is what sells the best, which is a pity because China's gaming market generated $24.6 billion in revenue last year, even more than the $24.1 billion gaming generated in the U.S.
Alphabet Investment in Lyft : Lyft is getting a boost from its illustrious partner Alphabet, which is leading an investment round to raise $1.5 billion (revised up from an earlier decision to raise a billion dollars). The funding valued the company at $11.5 billion, still well behind competitor Uber's $68 billion. Other than Alphabet's investment fund CapitalG, Fidelity Management & Research Company and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan are participants along with returning investors AllianceBernstein, Baillie Gifford, KKR, Janus Henderson Investors and Rakuten. The company raised $600 million in May.
Alibaba-Ford : Ford and Alibaba have signed a multi-faceted three-year deal that will see them collaborating more closely to sell Ford cars in China. They will also explore opportunities to work together on technology including cloud computing for big data analysis, digital marketing services through its Alimama subsidiary and using its AliOS operating system.
Other subsidiaries will also play a role as required. It's possible that Alibaba's Next Retail strategy, which is basically an omnichannel approach, will also play a key role because car buying generally involves a research phase and a test drive phase, so both online (better for research) and offline (better for experiencing the car) aspects are important.
Apple Airpod Shipments : Renowned Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has said that he expects Apple to ship 13-14 million units of its Bluetooth headphones (AirPods) in 2017. He also says that supply constraints prevented Apple from selling more this year, but that the number would double to 26-28 million units next year as Apple now has a new assembler in China called Luxshare. The expected launch of a new charging case that will allow users to charge them wirelessly, along with an iPhone and Apple Watch may also increase its popularity, according to the analyst.
Apple Smartphone Share : Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has released estimates for iPhone sales for the three months ended Oct 2017 and the numbers understandably show some market share losses. This year, the iPhone 8 wasn't a big jump from the iPhone 7 while the more expensive and radically changed iPhone X was just around the corner. So customers were most likely delaying their purchase until they had checked out the iPhone X. Android was the major gainer, especially in the U.S. and the U.K. Urban China was the most interesting where iOS grew and Android shrank regardless.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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The health insurance exchanges bring new consumers to the market, some of whom have never shopped for coverage before. Many insurers recognize that reaching these new consumers requires creative...
Very few consumers actually know the online marketplaces opened only two days ago. Many insurers aren't waiting for states to educate consumers and are launching their own marketing campaigns.
Five of the nation's largest health insurers spent a combined $366.8 million on advertising in 2011, an almost 52 percent increase from the year before.
In another sign that health reform--the individual insurance mandate and new exchange marketplaces, in particular--is changing the health insurance landscape, Cigna has announced that it will focus
The adversarial relationship between Highmark and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) rages on as Highmark says UPMC is engaging in a false, misleading, and deceptive marketing
Health insurers are increasingly turning to online marketing opportunities, including social media, to attract new members--and retain existing members by improving member satisfaction. On the other
- Nuance and eClinicalWorks Support AMA Guidelines with New Voice-Enabled Mobile Apps
- Policyholders, Prop 45 Advocates, And Nurses Deliver Manure To Blue Shield To Return Some of the B.S. Company Is Spreading In TV Ads Against Prop 45, Says Consumer Watchdog Campaign
- NTRR and Partners Offer Critical Assistance to First Responders as Panic Over Ebola and Enterovirus Spreads
- Attorney General Asked To Investigate Health Insurance Executives Embroiled In No Bid Contract Scandal At Covered California, Industry's So-Called "Independent Commission," Says Consumer Watchdog Campaign
- Talis Clinical builds perioperative solution on Microsoft Azure
- More Press Releases


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Security forces used tear gas and batons against demonstrators angered by a dramatic collapse in the national currency, the rial, which has lost about a third of its value against the US dollar since Sunday. The hour by hour decline of the currency provides vivid evidence of the damage wrought by international sanctions, which were imposed because of Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Protesters smashed shop windows and attacked banks after areas of the bazaar filled with moneychangers were closed. Numerous arrests were reported as protests spread out of the bazaar in central Tehran and into neighbouring areas.
Behind the rial's decline lies a precipitous fall in Iranian oil exports, which have dropped from about 2.5 million barrels per day last year to 1.1 million barrels in August, according to the International Energy Agency. This has deprived Iran of billions of dollars of revenues and exposed the regime's failure to avoid the damage caused by sanctions. "There is a perception that Iran is ahead of the game, anticipating what is to come and planning elaborate counter-measures to deal with economic sanctions. This is untrue," said Nigel Kushner, chief executive of W Legal, a law firm specialising in sanctions compliance.
"My view is Iran is like a rabbit glaring at the headlights of an oncoming juggernaut. It is reacting too late and in a half-hearted manner."
The collapse of the currency reflects a general loss of public confidence. The anti-government website, Kalemeh, cited eyewitnesses accounts that demonstrators demanded the overthrow of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The rial is reported to be trading at about 37,500 for one US dollar, compared with 29,500 as recently as Sunday. At the end of last year, Iranians needed only 16,000 rials to buy 1 dollar.
The clashes came a day after Mr Ahmadinejad blamed the currency's collapse on "psychological warfare" waged by Iran's foreign and domestic "enemies". He denied that his government's policies had anything to do with the decline. However, the immediate trigger appears to have been an announcement restricting the provision of US dollars by the Central Bank at the official exchange rate for the purchase of essential imports. Previously, dollars were made available at preferential rates for imports in five key categories. This was reduced to two, apparently spreading fears about a shortage of dollars.
This incident has sharpened the feud between Mr Ahmadinejad and his domestic opponents. Ali Larijani, the speaker of parliament and a possible contender to succeed the president in the election due next June, attributed the rial's decline "80 per cent" to government mismanagement rather than sanctions.
The opposition website Kalemeh said that bazaar traders were protesting against economic instability and the regime's "passive approach".
The collapse of the rial makes it far more expensive for Iranian companies to buy imported goods. Mr Kushner said the latest decline "means that most Iranian importers simply cannot afford to pay for goods if they must use the free market rate."
Instead of trading with the West, Iran has tried to buy more goods from countries likes China, India and particularly Turkey. However, the fall in the currency raises the price of imports across the board, meaning that they could become unaffordable. "We will see a real financial crisis in the coming months because the economy cannot sustain this," said Mr Kushner. "It is bad, but will become a lot worse."


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There’s something seriously amiss about the proposed amendments to the EU’s Data Protection Regulation, which aims to create a modern, blanket set of digital privacy protections for Europeans.
An awful lot of these proposed changes have been copied and pasted, word-for-word, from American lobbyists.
As chronicled by a clever German site called LobbyPlag, there are 64 instances where proposed amendments to the Data Protection Regulation have text identical to passages from previously-written lobbyist memos. Among those are American groups eBay, Amazon, and the Chamber of Commerce, the oldest lobbying organization in the U.S.
For instance, the Chamber of Commerce, in an official memo obtained by European digital rights group La Quadrature, recommended reducing fines for data-mining companies that track Europeans when they argue they made honest mistakes and promise to stop the tracking after being caught. Instead, it proposed tacking on a clarification:
Mitigating factors which support lower or no administrative fines at all shall include (i) measures taken by the natural or legal person to ensure compliance with relevant obligations, (ii) genuine uncertainty as to whether the activity constituted a violation of the relevant obligations, (iii) immediate termination of the violation upon knowledge, and (iv) Co-operation with any enforcement processes.
That paragraph was submitted, verbatim, as a new amendment by MEP Giles Chichester (representing South West England and Gibraltar) on Jan. 9.
Other lobbyist-requested changes include making it easier for companies to profile customers for advertising purposes and making companies that store data in “the cloud” less accountable to European data protection authorities.
“IT giants are currently trying to lobby away our fundamental right to privacy,” Europe Versus Facebook wrote. “The result: This legislative process, which will define privacy protection in the EU for the next 20 years, now runs the risk of being a big step backwards instead of forward.”
To combat this influence, a number of European digital rights groups, among them La Quadrature and EDRi, have created privacycampaign.edu to convince Europeans to contact their MEPs to vote against the dozens of lobbyist-created amendments.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons


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Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Sign up for Outside+ today.
All over skidom, people are eating burgers sans bun and taking their chili without the bread bowl, thank you very much. Turns out that even pasta-, bagel-, and pancake-loving skiers are turning to low-carb diets like Atkins and the Zone. And ski resorts are listening: Deer Valley’s bakers are busy concocting low-carb cookies. Breckenridge is slapping low carb stickers on certain to-go lunches. In Aspen, you can order a Caesar salad with a hamburger patty on the side. And Telluride’s food venues are offering up more wraps—which have fewer carbs than regular sandwiches—and even selling a “breadless sandwich (basically, sandwich fixin’s on a plate). No word on whether there’s a movement to give up beer, which has as many carbs per serving as an evil slice of whole-wheat.


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(WINDSOR, ON) – Windsor-West MPP Sandra Pupatello and Essex County Warden Tom Bain were joined by numerous guests from across the Windsor-Essex region to formally welcome Pristine LED Inc. to the business community with the grand opening of Pristine LED’s new 22,300 sq. ft. head office and manufacturing facility at 3215 Jefferson Boulevard in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Pristine LED manufactures and installs high-efficiency lighting for the commercial, industrial and residential markets. LED (Light Emitting Diode) te chnology uses up to 75% less electricity than other lighting products, while producing a more natural light. These financial and environmental benefits are rapidly making LED technology the preferred choice for new and retrofit lighting installations.
”Windsor offers a highly skilled workforce, which will be essential for staffing our facility,” said Kim Hennin, Chief Executive Officer of Pristine LED. ”We will be employing about 50 people for production start-up, and ex pect ultimately to generate 250 to 300 new jobs in the Windsor area.”
”Our new facility is well positioned to serve both the US and Canadian markets,” said Harold Tiede, Chief Financial Officer of Pristine LED. ”Windsor is also home to several complementary manufacturers with the capacity and capability to produce components for us.”
Bruce Melmer, President of Pristine LED noted, ”By sourcing the majori ty of our components locally, we can reduce transportation involved in production, and ultimately reduce the carbon footprint associated with our manufacturing process, making our product that much more environmentally responsible.”
“I’m pleased to officially welcome Pristine LED and up to 300 new jobs to Windsor-Essex,” said Pupatello. “I was delighted to hear that our skilled workforce and co mpetitive business environment were deciding factors for the company, and that Pristine will also be looking to local suppliers for their component parts.”


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American Butter Institute Takes New Direction in 2014
January 10, 2014
The American Butter Institute (ABI), managed by NMPF, has unveiled a new logo for the association, one of the many recent changes at the 106-year-old organization.
“As a result of the changes made through our strategic planning process, it was determined that ABI needed to revitalize and revamp its logo to bring it more into the 21st century. The ABI board voted on the new logo at its October meeting, and we are launching it this week,” said Anuja Miner, the Executive Director of ABI.
In addition to approving a new logo, the ABI Board last autumn named Miner the organization’s Executive Director. She takes over as the chief ABI staff person from Jerry Kozak, who has retired from the dairy industry after running ABI for the previous 22 years.
ABI also reported this week that U.S. butter consumption in 2013 reached its highest level in 40 years. Miner attributed the increase in part to a shift in consumer preferences away from highly processed foods, artificial ingredients, and trans fats derived from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began the process of banning trans fats from the American food supply.
“Margarine and other spreads are no longer viewed as healthier alternatives,” she noted, as consumers are demanding more pure and natural products. Since 2002, Americans increased their butter intake by 25 percent. In 2012, per capita consumption reached 5.6 pounds a year, up from a low point of 4.1 pounds in 1997.


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Travelers have found that booking a Friday departure is the best way to save up to 133% on the cost of booking your flights compared to booking on days of the week where this route is of high demand.
Travelers have found it’s best to book a flight 52 days in advance to save up to 43% compared to booking the same week of travel. As your travel date approaches, the cost of this flight route may potentially increase. While opting to book 52 days out may not be an option for all, there are still additional ways to secure a deal in the near future. You might find a flight from La Guardia to Anchorage 1-2 weeks in advance for as low as $357, or $499 for flights within the next 24 hours.
August can be a great time to fly to Anchorage from La Guardia with a flight ticket averaging about $351. Cheapflights users have found deals in the month of August for as cheap as $169. The most expensive prices can be found in the month of May.
One of the essential ways to save on airfare from La Guardia to Anchorage is to remain as flexible as possible. Flights that are in the morning tend to be the most expensive. If a flight is in the afternoon is possible it can save you up to 59% on airfare.


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25th anniversary celebration for Nothing Bundt Cakes
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Nothing Bundt Cakes is celebrating 25 years of baking and frosting their famous desserts. Today only, the bakery will be giving away 250 of their Confetti Budntlets at the McCarran location.
This celebration is happening nationwide, they are also having an online contest. This contest will allow one lucky fan to receive a $25,000 birthday party planned by a celebrity party planning company. 25 of the runners up will receive a $100 gift card to Nothing Bundt Cakes. Entries will be accepted now until the 25th of September.
Local Store Owner Shele Faretto shared what makes Nothing Bundt Cakes so special,
“In addition to the celebration I think it’s a good time to say thank you to our guests for continuing to use us for their holidays and family dinners and different celebrations through their lives and be a part of the community. "
Nothing Bundt Cakes opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.
For more information, click here.
Copyright 2022 KOLO. All rights reserved.


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Capitec’s virtual card is a digital bank card that is saved on a client’s Capitec banking app. It can be used as a normal physical card for online shipping, with the added advantage that nobody can steal or duplicate it. Capitec said its virtual card is available to all of its clients and can be used to securely make payments and purchase products online.
It can also be set as the default card for scan-to-pay transactions and loaded for payment onto apps such as Netflix, Takealot, and Uber.
For the record I don't bank with Capitec but I know they have happy clients, seem to charge the best banking rates, have recently started doing home loans too, and an innovative approach to their account linkages. All banks should be issuing virtual debit and credit cards for fraud prevention.
See Capitec launches virtual debit card
Capitec has rolled out its new virtual banking card, which is available within its new mobile banking application.


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Juneteenth 2022 is on Monday, June 20.
It celebrates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them.
Union troops told the remaining enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that all people who were still enslaved at the time should be freed according to the Emancipation Proclamation.
Here’s what you need to know about Juneteenth 2022.
The state holiday was observed in New Jersey on June 17 and the federal holiday is observed on June 20.
No. United States Postal Service offices will not be open.
There will be be no regular mail delivery on Monday, June 20 due to the federal government’s observance of Juneteenth.
FedEx will be fully operating despite the federal holiday.
UPS will not make deliveries on Sunday, June 19, except for Express Critical but will otherwise be making deliveries when the federal holiday of Juneteenth is observed.
Most banks will be closed.
The following banks are scheduled to be closed on Juneteenth, according to Banks.org.
Most supermarkets will remain open with regular or reduced hours.
Shoppers should ultimately check with their local supermarket for specific information on opening and closing hours, as it can vary by location.
The following major supermarket chains in New Jersey are scheduled to be open on Juneteenth:
- Acme (7 a.m. – 11 p.m.)
- Aldi (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
- BJ’s Wholesale Club (8 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
- Costco (10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
- Foodtown (varies by store)
- Lidl (8 a.m. – 9 p.m)
- Sam’s Club (Plus Members: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Club Members: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
- ShopRite (varies by store)
- Stop & Shop (7 a.m. – 10 p.m.)
- Target (8 a.m. – 10 p.m.)
- Trader Joe’s (8 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
- Walmart (6 a.m. – 11 p.m.)
- Wegmans (6 a.m. – 12 a.m.)
- Whole Foods (8 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
All major retail stores and malls should be open, along with most shopping centers, according to HolidayShoppingHours.com.
To see a list of some of the more popular store opening and closing times, click here.
Most restaurants should be open for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Patrons should check with specific restaurants for exact hours and information.
NJ Transit and SEPTA will have holiday or special services in effect. For NJ Transit, riders should use NJ Transit’s online trip planner to double-check arrival and departure times. PATH will operate on a Weekday schedule.
All Motor Vehicle Commission offices will be open, as New Jersey recognizes Juneteenth as a holiday on Friday, June 17 instead of the following Monday. Additionally, all New Jersey state offices and courts are open.
The next federal holiday is Independence Day on Monday, July 4, 2022.
For more information about the history of Juneteenth, check out the video below:
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com


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She said fans didn't want the show to include "sex and a level of provocative violence."HBO's "Game of Thrones," and now "House of the Dragon," include plenty of that.
'This was not our Game of Thrones': Amazon exec says fans don't want 'Rings of Power' to have 'sex and a level of provocative violence'
Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke says "The Rings of Power" is "not our 'Game of Thrones.'"
Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke doesn't want Amazon's "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" compared to its big-budget fantasy counterpart, HBO's "Game of Thrones" at least in terms of the show's tone.
"We knew from the beginning that this was not our 'Game of Thrones,'" Salke told Variety. "In fact, the fans spoke up from the minute the deal was closed, saying, 'Please don't try to insert sex and a level of provocative violence,' things that don't feel true to the stories that Tolkien wanted to tell."
Salke said that Amazon wanted to bring "something to our global customer base that is hopeful and has light and that a family can watch."
"So many people have grown up with this literature, and we wanted this series to pay it forward for new generations of Tolkien lovers," Salke said. "The line we've been using is 'If you're old enough to read the books, you're old enough to watch the show.'"
Indeed, "Game of Thrones" and now its prequel, "House of the Dragon," feature not-safe-for-work depictions of sex and violence that "The Rings of Power" has stayed away from, though it still has its moments of bloodshed.
But following in the footsteps of "Game of Thrones," just as "House of the Dragon" is also airing, has invited comparisons in other ways.
The series had a strong-enough debut, with viewers watching the two-episode premiere for 1.25 billion minutes in the first four days of release. That would break down to around 10 million viewers in the US, though it's not a perfect science. HBO said the premiere of "House of the Dragon" was watched by nearly 10 million viewers in its first night.
Still, Amazon says "The Rings of Power" is Prime Video's biggest original series yet.
But it's also faced growing pains that "House of the Dragon" hasn't, including poor audience reception and what's appeared to be lukewarm online engagement.
At any rate, Amazon has already spent hundreds-of-millions of dollars on the show and is committed to five seasons.


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I hate the phrase, food scare.
Hate is a strong word, but when it comes to food poisoning outbreaks that kill little kids and others, it’s not a scare, it’s real.
That’s a food scare.
See how many times the N.Y. Times can use the word scare in its opening paragraphs:
The European Union on Monday notified the food safety authorities in Britain, France, Sweden and Switzerland to be on the lookout for contamination in eggs after a food scare in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, a European Commission spokeswoman, said, “We do not know if the eggs are contaminated or not, but because of these notifications, it’s now up to the national authorities to check.”
The scare over contaminated eggs, which began in Belgium, has led supermarkets there and in Germany and the Netherlands to clear shelves of the product as the crisis entered its third week.
The removal of eggs from shops was prompted by the discovery of the insecticide fipronil in some shipments. The contamination is thought to have been caused by the mixing of the insecticide with a cleaning agent used at chicken farms. The scare began July 19 when the government of Belgium said that fipronil had been found in eggs produced there.
Major supermarket chains in Belgium, including Delhaize and Colruyt, have stopped selling eggs from affected farms. In the Netherlands, one poultry producer declared bankruptcy on Friday as a result of the insecticide scare, according to an industry group.
The Dutch consumer safety authority has published a guide on identifying the tainted eggs through a 10-digit serial number stamped on the shells. The country’s biggest supermarket chain, Albert Heijn, stopped selling many eggs last week, but the company said that eggs were back on sale as normal on Monday. In the Netherlands, an estimated nine million chickens from about 180 farms have been affected.
In Germany, the supermarket chain Aldi withdrew all eggs from sale after the authorities said that about three million eggs imported from the Netherlands had been affected. Since then, fipronil contamination has been found at four farms in the German state of Lower Saxony.
The Dutch poultry association said that farmers had no idea that cleaners were using the substance. Aalt den Herder, the group’s secretary, said the risk had been overstated.
“It was never an issue of human health, it was an issue of consumer confidence,” he said.
Yeah, except, as explained by the Irish Examiner:
Belgian authorities have now admitted they began investigating pesticide contamination in eggs in early June – several weeks before the public was made aware of a food safety scare affecting several European countries.
Kathy Brison, of the Belgian food safety agency, said on Sunday that a Belgian farm alerted authorities to a possible contamination in June, and they began investigating and alerted Belgian prosecutors.
German authorities are frustrated by the apparent delay in informing European neighbours.
German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt plans to speak to his Belgian counterpart about the issue on Monday.
And where would a risk communication failure be without the UK Food Standards Agency, who today reported, “We have no evidence that eggs laid in the UK are contaminated or that Fipronil has been used inappropriately in the UK. 85% of the eggs we consume in the UK are laid here.
“The number of eggs involved represents about 0.0001% of the eggs imported into the UK each year. Our risk assessment, based on all the information available, indicates that as part of a normal healthy diet this low level of potential exposure is unlikely to be a risk to public health and there is no need for consumers to be concerned. Our advice is that there is no need for people to change the way they consume or cook eggs or products containing eggs.”
Sounds good if they’re all getting “laid here.”
Going public: Early disclosure of food risks for the benefit of public health
NEHA, Volume 79.7, Pages 8-14
Benjamin Chapman, Maria Sol Erdozaim, Douglas Powell
Often during an outbreak of foodborne illness, there are health officials who have data indicating that there is a risk prior to notifying the public. During the lag period between the first public health signal and some release of public information, there are decision makers who are weighing evidence with the impacts of going public.
Multiple agencies and analysts have lamented that there is not a common playbook or decision tree for how public health agencies determine what information to release and when. Regularly, health authorities suggest that how and when public information is released is evaluated on a case-by-case basis without sharing the steps and criteria used to make decisions. Information provision on its own is not enough.
Risk communication, to be effective and grounded in behavior theory, should provide control measure options for risk management decisions.
There is no indication in the literature that consumers benefit from paternalistic protection decisions to guard against information overload. A review of the risk communication literature related to outbreaks, as well as case studies of actual incidents, are explored and a blueprint for health authorities to follow is provided.


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EML PAYMENTS LIMITED (ASX: EML) (‘EML’) has announced details of
its FinLab https://emlfinlab.com tech investment arm at the annual
EMLCON2020 conference. FinLab strategically partners EML with earlystage companies developing groundbreaking embedded FinTech solutions.
Its first series of investments involve industry disruptors Interchecks and Hydrogen.
FINLAB seeks to partner with vanguard payment technology companies to
accelerate EML’s Payments-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Banking-as-a-Service
(BaaS) platform offerings. A FINLAB strategic partnership involves a
commercial relationship combined with a minority investment, whereby both
parties gain access to the others’ payments technology to expand the
breadth of capability in their respective platforms.
”We were delighted to reveal our FINLAB incubator in front of a global
audience at EMLCON2020. We’re proud to back amazing disruptors in the
payments space. These initial investments in Interchecks and Hydrogen will
accelerate our expansion in international FinTech by reducing the time it
would have taken us to build additional next-generation tech in-house. All of
this forms part of EML’s 3-year Project Accelerator strategy and makes our A
to Z FinTech-in-a Box solutions all the more appealing,” explained Tom
Cregan, EML’s Managing Director & Group CEO.


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IT buyers will be able to purchase the servers with a pair of Xeons, each running at up to 2.93GHz. The servers will start at £2,399 in the UK.
For an additional cost, users will have the option of adding additional hard drives up to 3TB, or faster, more efficient, solid state drives (SSDs).
Apple claims that the new processors will allow the Xserve models to run at twice the speed of previous systems, with a performance-per-watt improvement of roughly 89 per cent.
"With up to twice the performance, better power efficiency and an innovative SSD drive option, this is the best Xserve we have ever made," said David Moody, worldwide vice president of Mac product marketing at Apple.
Apple has joined the growing list of server vendors to offer the new Intel Xeon chips since the line was formally released last week. Dell, Cisco and HP are among the vendors to feature the new chip in their offerings.
Much of today's AI is narrowly focused on specific tasks - a far cry from the general AI envisioned by the early pioneers
US space agency believes the crater could have preserved ancient organic molecules from the water that flowed there billions of years ago
Valve quietly closes down hardware initiatives launched following Windows 8
Scientists create a virtual reality simulation of a black hole sitting at the centre of the Milky Way
Simulations like this can help people understand complicated systems in the universe in a better way


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Featured in Vogue and loved by celebs including Elle Macpherson, Australian retailer SAMBAG plans to launch a new and completely re-designed site on June 7th. Features of the new site include a "Recommend" section to help you pick the perfect piece, a "Wish List" function, an online Look-Book with fashion collages, a SAMBAG press file and an exciting new blog, which will be constantly updated with SAMBAG news, including reports from the travels of SAMBAG founder, Sam Wagner. Shop for fab handbags, shoes, clothing, accessories and even kids by clicking here.
To celebrate the launch of the new site, SAMBAG is offering free shipping on all purchases for the first week of the launch plus free 'Zoe' inner soles to compliment all shoe purchases. Customers can also submit their own SAMBAG story for the SAMBAG blog for a chance to win fabulous prizes including SAMBAG ballet flats, a Dahlia Bomber, a Michi Clutch and more! Send submissions to email@example.com.
Follow SAMBAG on Twitter by clicking here!


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Indie Gladiator game, Domina, has recently clocked up hundreds of "overwhelmingly negative" reviews on Steam after the developer slipped anti-mask rhetoric into the game's latest patch notes.
After detailing fixes, new features, and optimisation improvements, slipped into the middle of the list was the command to "TAKE OFF THE FCKN MASKS".
Classic dev mistake: slipping anti-mask rhetoric into patch notes. pic.twitter.com/4evIOv2WeX — Leon Hurley (@LeonHurley) March 12, 2022.
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"TAKE OFF THE FCKN MASKS," the patch notes say between legitimate patch updates.
As PC Gamer spotted, it's not the first time developer Dolphin Barn Incorporated has dropped a strange addition into its patch notes.
The rant ends with "don't let strangers on the internet tell you how to live your life. »


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Midwest: DMEPOS/Rx Accreditation Advisor to conduct surveys.
Contract work only.
For the fourth year in a row, The Compliance Team, Inc., a Medicare-approved national healthcare accreditation organization, has received the HME Business New Product Award in the Accreditation and Certification category.
Well, how do I start? This is our first newsletter in months! We, at The Compliance Team, like you, have been working diligently to keep business moving forward. Since mid-March, our entire team has been working from home offices all over the country.
I recently returned from Regional NACDS (National Association of Chain Drug Stores) in Florida. The overwhelming consensus among pharmacy leaders was the negative impact of dir fees and how mail order companies are reducing the number of prescriptions to their businesses.
On June 1, 2019, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) released new and revised standards aimed at ensuring the quality of compounded medicines. The updates pertain to the USP General Chapters on compounding nonsterile…
Although not a common occurrence, The Compliance Team recently observed, instances of pharmacies that did not have a pharmacist on-site for the times that the pharmacy was open.


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‘The Financial Cost of Fraud 2015‘ has revealed that losses increased in 2012-2013 compared to 2010-2011, up from 5.01 per cent of annual expenditure to 5.9 per cent 29 per cent higher than for the period prior to the recession. This unexpected increase bucks the typical cycle of fraud after a recession, indicating that new social factors such as reduced adherence to collective ethical and moral norms, may be at play.
The report, reviewed 382 statistically valid loss measurement exercises published over the last 17 years, covering over 9.76tn expenditure. The exercises looked at 40 different types of expenditure in 46 organisations from nine countries spanning Europe, North American and Australasia.
It revealed that businesses around the world are losing an average 5.6 per cent of annual expenditure due to fraud and mistakes. In total, businesses and organisations around the world are losing around 2.78tn each year. Reducing this figure by 40 per cent would free up more than 1.1tn a sum greater than the GDP of 175 countries.
Read more about fraud:
- Most dramatic accounting scandals in history
- Duncan Bannatyne’s FD arrested on suspicion of fraud
- 10 CEOs turned crooks
Jim Gee, head of forensic and counter fraud services for PKF Littlejohn, said: Beating fraud is every companys business. If a business was paying six per cent over the odds for its energy and utilities, or rental properties then management would be quick to act or shareholders and investors would want to know why. Fraud is the last great unreduced business cost.
In these current economic times, it will take a brave CEO or FD to turn a blind eye to these findings more than two thirds of the exercises we reviewed showed fraud related losses of more than three per cent of expenditure, with the 17 year average running at 5.6 per cent but with some areas of expenditure, such as procurement, rising to anywhere between seven and 18.7 per cent.
Typically fraud increases during a recession and plateaus or decreases slightly afterwards,” explained Gee. Unexpectedly, our research shows fraud continuing to increase after the recession. The reasons for these increases seem to go beyond the economic cycle.
It may be that longer term social and technological factors are an underlying cause of the growth of fraud, such as a greater individualisation (less adherence to collective moral and ethical norms driven by increased isolation as we all retreat inside our digital devices); the increased complexity of processes and systems (it becoming easier to disguise fraud amidst this complexity); less face to face transactions (fraudsters feeling more distant from the victims of their dishonesty and thus less concerned about any response); more people under financial pressure during the financial crisis; and the increasing pace of change in business (with controls struggling to keep up).
Professor Mark Button, co-author of the report and director of the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies at the University of Portsmouth, said: The key questions for any organisation are how much does fraud cost us And how well are we protected against it Our research starts to provide answers to these questions. Unless you know the nature and scale of your fraud problem and whether you are properly protected against it, how can you act proportionately


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Cannabis business Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY) is undeniably a disappointment. Meme traders sent TLRY shares to an unsustainable high of $ 67 in February. Since then, the action has continued to decline.
As this Canadian cannabis company aims to expand into the United States, should the owners of its shares keep their shares?
The bearish outlook for TLRY stock
The the Wall Street newspaper reported last week that Tilray had made a plan to expand to the United States,. This is nothing new. Last year she merged with Aphria in an effort to facilitate aggressive politics expansion in the country.
The merger, however, was not a solution to Tilray’s underperformance, as both companies failed to capitalize on the legalization of cannabis in Canada.
In the United States, multi-state operators, or MSOs, dominate the cannabis markets. They are profitable and do not disperse. For example, Green Thumb, pioneer of the MSO model, has a presence in 14 states.
Meanwhile, Tilray has taken too much money from its investors. It obtained the approval of its investors to increase the number of authorized shares of its ordinary shares on September 10. CEO Irwin Simon said, “With the support of our shareholders, Tilray now has the resources we need to build on our momentum and execute our plans. “
This move, however, will hurt the owners of TLRY shares. The value of their shares will be diluted as the company purchases MSOs. Chances are, Tilray is paying too much for an American cannabis operator. Investors may consider buying the shares of MSOs, with the aim of guessing which companies Tilray can acquire.
The opportunity for legalization
Tilray is betting Congress will legalize cannabis across the United States, justifying the company’s plans to expand into the United States. Tilray CFO Carl Merton said The Wall Street Journal earlier this month, “We believe the United States is closer to legalization than ever, but the process will take time.”
Merton has an ambitious goal of $ 4 billion in revenue by the end of fiscal 2024 for Tilray. The goal assumes that Congress will legalize cannabis. But the United States will likely take longer than Tilray expects to legalize cannabis. As a result, the company will have to revise its forecasts downwards.
Tilray is confident that it will be able to significantly increase the turnover of its MedMen unit which it acquired in August. Tilray expects subsidiary to increase sales by at least $ 1 billion to $ 1.5 billion expanding to more US states But he will not be able to achieve this goal without full legalization in the United States.
Tilray can however develop in Europe. With the arrival of new administrations in Germany, Israel and Denmark, the chances of cannabis legalization by these countries will improve over the next 18 months.
In Portugal, Tilray has a high quality production tool. It also has a cultivation and production plant in Germany.
The risks of Tilray
Tilray’s net sales in the first quarter increased by 43% year over year to $ 168 million. Its net cannabis revenues jumped 38% to $ 70 million. While its adjusted gross margin was 43%, Tilray’s first quarter net loss increased to $ 34.6 million, from $ 21.7 million in the prior year period.
Tilray’s synergies with Aphria will reduce its costs. But the 43% year-on-year revenue growth was too slow to offset the 60% year-on-year increase in its losses.
During his first quarter earnings call, Merton, the chief financial officer, reported that the coronavirus had negatively impacted its results. Although the company’s business in Canada did not increase for many quarters, he still expressed optimism about improving its sales in Canada, citing the positive impact of vaccinations there.
But in this financial model which assumes modest growth, the TLRY share is worth less than $ 7.50 per share.
Most analysts are mixed on TLRY shares
On Wall Street, ten of the 13 analysts rate the action as “restrained”. Their average price target is around $ 15.00, according to Tips.
The company is still losing money. On the conference call, an analyst asked why the company is seeing a dilution of its actions as beneficiary. CFO Merton said there will be no dilution until the company uses the money for an acquisition or other purposes. Typically, stocks of companies that acquire other companies fall.
The bottom line
TLRY stock is on a downtrend for good reason. The markets expect the company to report more losses in the coming quarters. This will weigh negatively on its short-term outlook.
The company expects the US Congress to legalize cannabis. But if that happens, investors would be better off buying MSOs instead.
TLRY shares remain an unattractive investment.
As of the publication date, Chris Lau does not have (directly or indirectly) any position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, submitted to InvestorPlace.com Publication guidelines.


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Swedish fashion group Hennes & Mauritz has managed to increase its third quarter turnover 21 % compared to last year's third quarter, "thanks to the introduction of new brands and growing internet sales".
Incredibly strong August sales
The world's second largest fashion group managed a 38.8 billion krona (4.2 billion euro) turnover excluding VAT in the three months leading up to 31 August, a 21.1 % growth compared to the same period in 2013.
August joins May as the strongest months of the year, turnover growth wise. Except for June, H&M sold more every month compared to the same month last year.
Internet and broader range of items
The fact that the American economy is picking up again, that H&M has increased its online presence (with a first web shop in Spain, the country of its competitor Inditex) and that it now has a broader range of products (with the successful expansion of & Other Stories and home decoration items) have all been very good for H&M in the past quarter.
The Swedish group had 3,341 stores worldwide at the end of August, a sizable increase compared to the 2,964 stores it had a year ago.


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Singapore police have arrested two employees and one former worker from a cosmetics company for allegedly stealing the firm's products worth S$27,000.
On Thursday, the Singapore Police Force said in a press release that the company reported of samples of the firm's products being illegally sold online on March 5. However, the police have not identified the cosmetics company, which is located along Sin Ming Road.
After receiving the report, the police conducted extensive ground enquiries and finally the officers established the identities of the three men, who were arrested on Mar 6 and Mar 7.
The police have recovered more than 200 products, including shampoos, perfumes and moisturisers worth around S$27,000,
The authorities said that the preliminary investigations have revealed that the online seller formerly worked at the company. The accused is believed to have joined with two employees to steal products from the company's warehouse.
The police said that the investigations are still going on. If found guilty, the three men may face a jail sentence of up to seven years and can also be fined.
Last year, a 34-year-old man was arrested for allegedly selling fake luxury watches online. The preliminary investigations revealed that before reselling the products locally via social media platforms, the man had used e-commerce IT goods from foreign sources.


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Final work is taking place at Charlton’s new Sainsbury’s/ M&S complex, which will come to life in six weeks – the ‘old’ Greenwich Sainsbury’s set to close on Tuesday 23 June with its Charlton replacement opening its doors the following the day.
Some bits of work still need to be done, though – such as signage. If you’re expecting the new store to have subtle signs, think again – a giant four-metre high Sainsbury’s logo is due to be plonked on the roof of the store, according an application sent to Greenwich planners.
It’s a far cry from the more subtle sign that sits below the roof level of the Greenwich store – an image of which is still being used on recruitment ads for the new outlet.
If you’ve any strong views on the signs, be sure to let Greenwich planners know – head to the council’s planning website and search for reference 15/0835/A – comments need to be in by 26 May, which is leaving the timescales rather tight…


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Cramer explains what Amazon and Alphabet want you to see in their earnings reports
Amazon then erased doubts about their ability to execute by reminding investors about their massive cash flow. "It remains one of the greatest stock stories ever told," Cramer said. Alphabet went about energizing investors in a different way. They talked about how their search engines help local businesses and about their cloud operations, which compete...